EMWD emphasizes benefits of emergency water storage

Press release from Eastern Municipal Water District:

PERRIS -- Eastern Municipal Water District encourages its customers to take time this month to ensure they are ready in the event of a major emergency or natural disaster.

September is National Preparedness Month, which was established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The month offers a good reminder of the importance of being prepared for an unplanned situation such as an earthquake.

In the event of an emergency, EMWD will work quickly and safely to restore any affected service as soon as possible. However, a large earthquake or other natural disaster could result in delays to services being restored that would require customers to have supplies on hand to meet their basic needs.

Households are encouraged to have enough bottled water on hand to last up to three days. A typical emergency supply is one gallon per person, per day. Additional water should be kept on hand for pets or those with medical issues. Water should be stored in a cool, dark place that will be easily accessible in an emergency. Be sure to label containers and replace them every six months.

Other items that should be stored in an emergency kit include toilet paper and wipes, hand sanitizers, plastic trash bags, a bucket and a deodorizing chemical. These items may be useful in the event of an outage to the wastewater system.

In the event of an emergency, EMWD will post updates as needed on its website and communicate to customers about the impacts to water service in their respective areas.

“Having a supply of water and other essentials ready in the event of an emergency is a simple and important step to ensure your family is cared for,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “While we are hopeful that a major disaster does not happen, the reality is our region is high-risk for natural disasters. We hope that our customers take the time to be as ready as EMWD will be in the event of an emergency.”

More information about National Preparedness Month may be found at ready.gov/september.